The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Fragaria, botanically known as Fragaria×ananassa ‘SWV 25’, and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘SWV 25’. ‘SWV 25’ is a Mediterranean short day strawberry, primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the Mediterranean and other regions of similar climate and day length.
The new cultivar of Fragaria is a selection from a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventors in a glass greenhouse. The objectives of the breeding program are to create new Fragaria cultivars with high fruit yields with fruit that are large, uniform, have firm skin, pleasant taste, and low acid content combined with consistent production and a high disease tolerance.
‘SWV 25’ was derived from a cross made in 2011 under controlled conditions between unnamed and unpatented plants of Fragaria×ananassa from the Inventor's breeding program in Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom; reference no. ‘SVF 72’, as the female parent and reference no. ‘S06WL48’, as the male parent. ‘SWV 25’ was selected as a single unique plant in spring of 2012 from amongst the seedlings that resulted from this cross in Cartaya, Huelva, Spain.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by both tissue culture using meristematic tissue and rooting of stolons in Faversham, Kent, United Kingdom in 2012 under the direction of the Inventors. Asexual propagation by rooting of stolons and tissue culture has shown that the unique characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.